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So he and three friends tied a rope around its tail and towed it back to shore where it had to be hoisted on to the quayside by a crane.

It weighed in at 513lbs, easily beating the existing record of 419lbs for an Atlantic halibut as recognised by the International Game Fishing Association.

Marco, who is in his 30s and from Germany, has now submitted a claim to the IGFA and is awaiting confirmation.

Marco Liebenow joked he had hooked into a submarine when the monster halibut took his bait

David Bottcher, of the angling tour company Angelreisen Hamburg that organised to fishing trip to Kjollefjord, Norway, said: 'David does not speak any English but has said it was a wonderful feeling to catch it and has called it a fish of a lifetime.

'When he first hooked it it felt like he has caught a submarine because it was so big.

'It took four men to bring it towards their 19ft boat and then they could only put a sling around its tail and pull it back to the harbour.

'Marco was elated afterwards and celebrated with the boat skipper and their housekeeper by having a few beers.

'Before he left for the trip, he called us first to ask for a few hints about how and where to fish - I guess our advice paid off.

'It looks like it is a world record for a halibut but we are waiting to have it confirmed.'

Marco donated the halibut to a local fish dealer.

WHAT A WHOPPER! THE FISH THAT CAN LIVE FOR 50 YEARS

Atlantic halibut - Hippoglossus hippoglossus in Latin - is among the largest bony fish in the world.

Their native habitat is the the northern Atlantic, from Greenland to the Barents Sea and as far south as the Bay of Biscay.

They can reach up to 15ft in length and weigh up to 700lbs and can live for 50 years.

Their diet is usually other fish like cod, haddock and herring although they do face predation from seals and the Greenland shark.